The Ral Counterattack
by Awareness Bringer
Summary: One-shot. In political exile, Jimba Ral works to find a solution in solving Zeon Zum Deikun's mysterious death.


**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gundam franchise or it's related concepts and characters, but Sunrise does.**

 **[RC]**

 **The Ral Counterattack**

 **[RC]**

 **Universal Century 0071, Mass Family Estate, Andalusia, Spain, Earth**

Having adopted the alias Jaime Raoul upon his escape to Earth from the political purging that occurred at the then Autonomous Republic of Munzo of Side 3, Jimba Ral, once one of Zeon Zum Deikun's closest friends, had struggled in the three years since. On one hand, he appreciated the shelter his old friend, Don Teabolo Mass, had given to both him and Deikun's children and actually liked seeing Earth up close and personal after getting used to the "natural" gravity and environment. On the other, he still felt a growing feeling of bitter betrayal towards his former friend, Degwin Sodo Zabi, for all but usurping leadership of Munzo, now arrogantly named the Principality of Zeon, upon Deikun's still unsolved death, separating his children from their mother, who was still under house arrest at the hands of a jealous zealot, using his own name and ideals to slowly buildup a military state to go against the Earth Federation, and most damning to Jimba, forcing him to leave his only son, Ramba, at Side 3, where he would have to go through the injustice of the situation without any real vocal, visual, or face-to-face contact with his father for the last three years. Either way, Jimba did what he could to guide Casval Rem and Artesia Som Deikun, now Édouard and Sayla Mass, as best he could with mixed results.

While both children appreciated him as a friend of their birth father and Jimba genuinely reciprocated their kind sentiments, he was somewhat unable to win them over to his feelings of retribution for the Zabis. Sayla, while missing her mother, Astraia, had come to accept the possibility that she wouldn't find out how Zeon Deikun died and that, regardless of whatever wrongdoing on the part of the Zabi family or the Federation, the kind of justice Jimba desired was unobtainable. Édouard, however, shared Jimba's growing distaste for Degwin and his offspring, but had become bored with Jimba's "slow approach" in bringing down the Zabi family dictatorship. Nonetheless, Jimba refused to be left out of the game as it were, which led to him talking with Teabolo and both children in the former's office on his prior efforts for planning a true counteroffensive.

"I would rather appreciate it if you don't go about such "last resorts" behind my back, Jimba." Teabolo warned in an unpleased tone of voice, while Édouard and Sayla remained silent in deep thought.

"Which is why I'm telling the three of you now before I actually start on anything." Jimba informed with a calming gesture before he began again. "Look, I know it's a one-way road, but if we don't try, I'm pretty sure things will only get worse."

"I'm all but convinced that it won't work, period, Ral. Please think of the consequences."

At this point, Édouard decided to input his own words towards his adopted father. "I'm glad you care, Father, but Mr. Jimba isn't wrong. The Zabis are making a mess out of everything our birth father fought for and are keeping me and Sayla away from our mother. If there's a way we can finally act against them, I think we should take it."

Sayla sighed with purpose before addressing her brother. "Édouard, we've had this conversation more times in the past three years than I care to remember, but I just don't think there's a way for things to go back to the way they once were." She then glared at Jimba and said. "No matter how much some people try to deny it."

Not exactly pleased with the way Sayla was indirectly addressing him, Jimba turned to her before Teabolo had a say in anything. "I'm well-aware that my actions won't bring Zeon Deikun back, Miss Sayla, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve justice."

"I know that!" Sayla snapped which startled all three of the males in the office at her volume. Calming down, she frostily asked. "But how much is this about our loved ones compared to how much this is about you getting back your political status in Side 3 and then some?"

Stuttering in shock for a moment, Jimba retorted. "This isn't about me!"

"If that's true, then why isn't Ramba here, too?! Did you even care that your own son wouldn't come with us?!"

"Sayla, please!" Teabolo all but begged to his seething daughter, who didn't loosen her glare until Jimba himself started to cry genuine tears.

"I know I let the people who mattered to me down, Sayla." Jimba let out in his sobs. "Before we left Munzo and I stopped thinking about myself, I begged Ramba to come with us somehow, but he and Hamon wanted to stay behind and look after your mother. I want to think that he understood why I did all that I did when Zeon died, but I always hated myself for not saying a real goodbye to Ramba back then. That may have been the last he and I would ever see each other in our lifetime, and I never told him how much I loved him." Wiping away his tears in an attempt to clear his mind, he then added. "That's why I've been recently looking over ways to make a return and I believe that the Executive Vice President of Anaheim Electronics could be reasoned with to support us."

Seeing a need to return into the conversation, Teabolo inputted. "But, Jimba, Chelsea is like any typical Anaheim big shot these days. So long as they're making money off of you, they won't care less about your cause or the people behind it. I honestly wouldn't be surprised that as soon as he starts to do his part of the bargain, someone else in the conglomerate will sell you all out to the Zabis, and I don't think they'll be as merciful this time as they were the last."

Édouard then asked. "But you must know of some people who could support us and stay true to the end, right, Father?"

Teabolo thought about it before he then said. "I'm good friends with Shu Yashima of the Yashima Group that rivals Anaheim in some ways and there was a weapons engineer in Anaheim who I held absolute trust in back in the day that was actually mentored by one of the finest minds residing in Side 3." He then sighed tiredly. "I don't want the three of us involved in this, Jimba, but if the children here decide to follow your lead, then I will see what I can do to support you all still."

Jimba nodded knowingly. "I'd prefer it if our friendship is still intact, Don Teabolo. I'm sure Master Édouard is onboard, but that leaves another voice I'd like to hear." Turning to Sayla, who hadn't said a word since her outburst. "Sayla, I know that you are right to-"

Cutting Jimba off with her hand raised, Sayla interjected. "I'm sorry about what I said, Mr. Jimba. I know you miss your son just as Édouard and I miss our mother." She then bore her eyes straight into Jimba's. "But we are going to do this together, right?"

Smiling gently, Jimba placed his hands into Édouard's right hand and Sayla's left hand. "I strongly encourage that we be together on this."

Sighing, Sayla showed the beginnings of a small smile. "Okay."

Nodding that they were all in agreement, Édouard turned to Teabolo. "Can you call those friends of yours for us, Father? I believe we have a lot of work to do."

"Very well." Teabolo replied uncertainly, but with a hopeful smile no less.

 **[RC]**

 **Outdoor Swimming Pool Area of the Estate**

After a few days of calling and waiting, Shu Yashima and Doctor Tem Ray arrived to engage in talks with Don Teabolo and Jimba, leaving Shu's daughter, Mirai, and Tem's son, Amuro, in Édouard and Sayla's hands. While Mirai was around Édouard's age and had the mature confidence to adjust to being in a seldom visited location, Amuro, however, as the youngest among and the son of a scientist who's job all but demanded constant travel, felt nervous around the older children, which prompted Sayla to suggest that they go to the estate's swimming pool to spend time and she was happy to get a genuine smile out of the young boy as they swam together.

"Mirai Amuro couple!" A high-pitched mechanical voice called out at the spot where Édouard and Mirai were lounging before they were spooked by the voice, which they soon found out belonged to Amuro's self-made toy, Haro.

"What about me and Amuro?" Mirai asked in confusion with the three others not having much of a clue either.

"Mirai girlfriend to Amuro boyfriend!" Haro chirped.

"What?!" Mirai yelped in horror while Amuro blushed, Sayla looked even more confused how Haro came to that statement, and Édouard begun to laugh like crazy. "It's not funny!" Mirai snapped at the blonde boy laughing in his chair.

"Uh, Haro, what makes you think Mirai should be Amuro's girlfriend?" Sayla decided to ask.

After a moment of silence, Haro replied energetically. "Both brown-haired!"

"What?!" Mirai and Sayla barked at the ridiculous answer.

"This is priceless!" Édouard laughed even harder.

"Haro, that's a dumb reason for people to get married!" Amuro yelled in embarrassment.

"Yeah, they aren't near enough in age for it either!" Sayla added. "Can't you just pair up Mirai with Édouard and me with Amuro instead?!" As soon as the words exited her mouth, however, she covered her mouth in disbelief while the others started blushing as well as the implications.

Haro hovered in excitement proclaiming. "Couples! Couples!" While Amuro refused to meet Sayla's gaze and the two teens glared at her in annoyance, who could do nothing but shrug sheepishly.

 **[RC]**

 **Decided to explore one of the ideas I mentioned in A Chance Meeting in Spain after I felt some inspiration for it, except in this case, Jimba is properly wary of Anaheim and instead asks Shu Yashima, who's also friends with Don Teabolo in addition to Admiral Gopp of the Earth Federation. I don't know if I can adapt any of these works into longer stories, but I have decided to post my work, or most of it, on SpaceBattles and Sufficient Velocity as well as on DeviantArt, Archive of Our Own, and FanFictionNet, so I suppose it wouldn't hurt to think about it as time goes by, if I don't inspire some people to do their own stuff. Anyway, I hope you all liked how I presented this as well as the little bit about Mirai and** **Édouard. I don't have anything against either Blight Noa, Sleggar Law, or Cameron Bloom, per se, but right now, they're all some years late.**

 **I also forgot to add in A Chance Meeting in Spain that since Jimba Ral didn't move to Earth in that AU, the Mass family wouldn't be forced to move to Texas Colony, so the real Char Aznable won't be replaced before attending the Zeon Military Academy with his best friend Lino Fernandez and the following history might be different as well. The Dawn Rebellion, Dozle's relationship with Zenna, Lalah's whereabouts, Minovsky's failed defection to the Federation, the (in)famous reputation of "Char Aznable", and many details involved with the One Year War and the following would be altered or might not even happen at all. Still, it would be interesting if Édouard joined the EFF in the event the War does happen, especially after Operation British, and maybe recreate some video game routes like him joining the Titans or becoming his father's true successor. At least that's what I'm thinking.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all appreciated my work and I'm sorry that it took so long to get with this. Should come back with more soon.**


End file.
